Political Revenge by Jammu Kashmir Alig Association (JKAA)

Waseem Ayoub Malik lost AICTE scholarship for speaking against JKAA Patron

PURPOSE:

            This is for the wider publicity of a political revenge taken by JKAA patron by denying me the AICTE renewed scholarship for the year 2013-14. More than for scholarship, it is expose the unauthorised use of office of the Aligarh Muslim University by JKAA.

IT IS NOT ABOUT MONEY:

            I know many will think, why I am writing this for mere Rs. 23000. But for me it is not the issue of money but the misuse of an authority. My point is that which office has authorized JKAA to deal with this issue and why any body not borrowing JKAA patron’s views is made to suffer. If today it is me (and I have enough resources and Rs. 23000 mean lesser to me), but what if it was a poor Kashmiri student who was made to suffer like this. Kindly break the silence. I know that those who received the money may not support me and many may fear that next time they may be deprived from the AID and may remain silent. But that doesn’t matter for me. For the genuine cause, Waseem is alone enough to fight.          

CASE HISTORY:

            When the AICTE list for the awardees was made public, I was denied the scholarship citing “Course Completed” as a reason for that. Since, all my batch mates were awarded the scholarship; I was surprised as if why, I alone was denied the scholarship even when I had not completed the course and I was eligible.

OFFICIAL RESPONSE:

            I contacted the Office of the Registrar, AMU where I was told, “Scholarship ka kaam to aap khud karte hain, Aap logoun nae koi Manzoor bhai iss kaam k liye rakha hai. Wahi form lene sae aaakhir tak iss kaam ko dekhta hai. We don’t know anything”. Hence officialls denied any role of theirs and said that whatever problems are there are to be dealt by Dr. Manzoor sb. Section Officer said, “We deal with scholarships for students of all regions, however for Kashmiris have elected Dr. Manzoor, and he does it on behalf of them and us”.

JKAA Response: 

            Then I checked the Official Facebook page of JammuKashmir Alig Association, (https://www.facebook.com/jammukashmir.aligassociation?fref=nf) which continues to run the issue of scholarships and is run by JKAA Patron Dr. Manzoor Ahmad.

            JKAA Page read, “If any student pursuing general degree course who has applied for scholarship renewal does not find his/her name in this list, they can inform us through message. We will try our best to ensure that every eligible student who has applied for renewal gets the scholarship” (April 15, 2015) and I commented on the post that I had not the completed the course, still I was denied the scholarship. My comment reads, “It is showing "course completed" against my name in the list while my friends of other departments have been sanctioned.”

            I was awaiting the response as I was expecting that my matter will be solved and I will be granted the scholarship like my all class mates.

            However, I was stunned to see that the JKAA page (May 8, 2015) which read, “It is information for all such candidates whose name was either absent/misplaced in the list that we visited the AICTE office on 1st and 7th May, 2015 and enquired about scholarship of such students…… WaseemAyoub Malik (M.sc Biochemistry) had not applied for renewal of Scholarship so his name is not in the list sent by DSW to AICTE officials so no progress”.

THE REALITY:   

            The fact is that those   students who had not applied were shown “Claim not received” in the AICTE list. My name showed “Course Completed”, which shows two things, that I had applied for the scholarship and that my course has been completed (which indeed was not TRUE). So JKAA is giving a baseless reason and is misguiding us with wrong information and JKAA is involved in denying me the scholarship. I had applied with the renewal form along with my friends from Habib Hall and all except me were granted the scholarship.

THE FALSE CLAIM OF JKAA:

            In a face saving exercise JKAA claims, “Association was not involved in collection of renewal forms” and this is blatant lie. JKAA was directly involved in all the stages of the issue and continued to sell this service for their political benefits. They were involved and they deliberately deprived me of the scholarship.

            For confirmation kindly read the JKAA official page, “All those students who have not filled renewal forms are requested to fill them at the earliest with all receipts and marks sheet of last academic session and submit them with the persons already notified or Hall representatives soon or DSW office as they are to be checked before sending them to the AICTE officials” (JKAA Page, December 27, 2013). This shows that they had chosen their representatives.

            JKAA Page reads, “All graduate students are requested that they should submit renewal forms latest by 2 Feb to concerned persons notified already after which no renewal form will be accepted and it will be responsibility of student if he does not submit renewal form and no communication on his behalf shall be done by association after that” (JKAA Page, January 29, 2014).

            Now read, “it is information for all graduate students who have applied for renewal of JK scholarship that acknowledgement forms of students who have received scholarship last year have been signed by Registrar, AMU.  Mr. Junaid from Habib Hall did commendable job in collection of forms from different halls and individuals. The file was signed by all concerned finance related officials before signature by the Registrar; AMU.These forms will be submitted to AICTE officials by Patron personally” (JKAA Page, December 15, 2014). Thus they want Kashmiris to be thankful to JKAA for this gracious help.

            And read, “The Association is thankful to everyone who took active role in completion of formalities including those who helped in collection of renewal forms/ acknowledgment forms, persons who visited several times to concerned AICTE offices for knowing documents lacking and all those who trusted that JKAA will put every effort so that this scholarship is not discontinued” (JKAA Page, March 22, 2015).

            All statements quoted above show that JKAA was actively involved with the renewal forms and their claim that JKAA is not involved is a white lie and he tries to befool the students. They are trying to put the accusation on AMU administration; however JKAA was involved both as per JKAA official page and AMU Registrar Office.

WHAT IS JKAA AND ITS AUTHORITY:

            JKAA claims to represent Kashmiri students and is supposedly striving for their rights. It is not an official body of AMU and has never been granted any recognition to deal with the affairs of AMU. However, JKAA has continuously engaged itself into political activities at AMU. It has continuously involved in delivering scholarships to Kashmiri students and it is the only regional body at AMU that performs this duty and the only reason is to contain the political vote bank.

            AMU has never officially allowed JKAA to play such a role in this matter. Yes, as per order no. DN. 1185/DSW dated 3-12-13, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad of Department of Biochemistry was named by AMU authorities ‘for any enquiries about the scholarship and that was his only role. His role was limited for enquiries however he has sabotaged the entire process and he is benefiting from the same. He takes advantage of benefiting people and claims the leadership of Kashmiri students.

JKAA is doing an UNAUTHORIESD Official work of AMU:

JKAA pages says, “JKAA will now submit required documents by hand to concerned officials (AICTE) after they are complete for early release of scholarship” and thus shows itself as an authority for the grant of scholarship as if AMU has no scholarship section for Kashmiri students.

            JKAA Page reads, “The award list has been submitted to scholarship section (by JKAA) and they have been told to send a copy of it to every provost office along with sample of claim form as well as acknowledgment form so that funds can be transferred to account of students immediately”. This statement shows that JKAA dictates to ‘Scholarship section.

            JKAA “submitted (forms) to the AICTE officials by the office bearers of the association personally” and this did an official job of AMU which they were never authorised for.

            JKAA says, “Once their acknowledgment forms are complete, JKAA will countersign these forms from Registrar of University and will resubmit them to the AICTE officials so that all formalities for release of scholarship are dully completed”, hence JKAA is ENGAGED in an official work.

WHY JKAA TOOK A POLITICAL REVENGE:

            JKAA patron, Dr. Manzoor Ahmad was supporting Leyakat Khan as a Presidential Candidate for AMUSU and was vigorously campaigning for him, though Dr. sb was a non student and a working official in university, but he did an active room to room campaigning in almost every hall of the university.

            As Dr. Manzoor Ahmad writes on his facebook profile, “It is my first comment after the elections of AMUSU were conducted. Let me make it clear that i supported Liyaqat in my personal capacity as i know him from last 10 years and not as patron or member of any other organization. I may be patron or member of an organization but i can support any candidate in my personal capacity. …. The meeting at canteen was not called by JKAA but by people supporting other candidate and i was called to attend the meeting and give my point of view by Waseem. I told and am of firm believe that People of J&k have special identity but unfortunately some people there told that they do not believe in any groupism based on region. I supported LIAYAQAT in my personal capacity …. Unfortunately meeting could not end on a happy note due to disturbances by people who called it. It does not matter whether any one supported or voted Liyaqat, Azam or Mubashir but saying that we do not belong to any grouping based on region is somewhat different. Hope everyone will understand the difference (dated: November 21, 2014).

            One fails to understand by reading all this that how can any employee of university, who also runs a political association, support any student candidate in AMUSU elections in his personnel capacity, for which he himself is neither a member nor a voter. He has crossed the limits of AMU and is exploiting the scholarships for vested interests. He gave this speech to around 200 students in the old canteen ground.

            More Details can be read in Shafat Wani’s Blog, titled, An algebra of AMUSU Elections... A Kashmir Perspective.. !! A month after AMUSU Elections, JKAA stirs a New Debate. http://shafatwani.blogspot.in/2014/11/an-algebra-of-amusu-elections-kashmir.html)

            In the meeting mentioned by him, I opposed his choice and said that we should not vote for any candidate just because Manzoor bhai says so. I rejected regionalism and Gunda Culture as Manzoor bhai was supporting regionalism and Katta culture promoters. This started a grudge of JKAA patron against me and this is the reason for revenge. The recording of his speech in the said meeting is available. 

            Denying me the scholarship is the revenge of the same meeting and I was denied the scholarship for the same political reasons. JKAA patron is playing a Machiavellian politics and is using an official exercise for his personal interests. Since his candidate was defeated in the elections, so he has developed a severe animosity against me and my friends. He has made Kashmiris dependent on him in the name of JKAA.  

            It may be known that the office bearers of JKAA (other than patron) are powerless post holders who are made to follow a yes boss policy. They never dare to openly oppose the Patron’s political moves and remain silent, may be to save themselves from the damage the patron may do to them. JKAA is undemocratic, unconstitutional and political body aiming at developing vote bank and contacts with ministers and higher ups in authority.  It may be known that JKAA Patron is a non student since last 12 years and continues to organize Kashmiri students at AMU for keeping his leadership intact.

            JKAA officials other than Patron when asked about any matter would either fail to respond or say that All decisions belong to the Patron and He is the only power house.  

MY LAST WORDS:

            JKAA patron, though a faculty in the university stays busy with the student politics which he is not part of and is exploiting the scholarships meant for Kashmiri students for the political gains. He also made the press releases in almost every newspaper in Kashmir and in Aligarh and other media outlest, claiming the credit for all such things, as if he was the authority to distribution of Scholarships. He is trying to hold a vote bank in this name. Students from no other region studying at AMU find any need of an association for granting them a scholarship. Important to mention is that the University has its own scholarship section, which has more than 20 employees, meant only for the job, which JKAA claims it is doing. JKAA sells and buys votes in the name of scholarships and that has been well established in the previous election of AMUSU. JKAA has divided the Kashmir community and is only creating a bad name for AMU. I ask all the concerned persons to understand the issue and save another Waseem from denial of his right to receive a scholarship. Let us stand against politically motivated people and allow AMU machinery to work for students. Kindly read another article titled, IN ALIGARH, IT’S JAMMU VS KASHMIR by Nayeem Khan

(https://nayeemshowkatkhan.wordpress.com/2015/04/15/in-aligarh-its-jammu-vs-kashmir/)

           

            I hope that my words awaken the exploited minds and the AMU administration and stop the unauthorised bodies to misuse the official activities of AMU. I want all Kashmiri Aligs to read this and guide the young Kashmiri students at AMU to learn a life of Independence and save themselves from Exploitation. Let us not bury our heads in sand till we are sold for meagre benefits. Though already an Alig named Sheikh Abdullah has sold us through accession and another Alig Mufti Syed has sold us to BJP for power. Earlier we awaken, the better it is.

FOR ADMINISTRATION

Will administration continue to allow such an unauthorized political group with grievances against many students like me to perform an official responsibility? If yes, why should NOT the scholarship section be abolished and regional kings allowed using their power and influence.

End Word:

            There is a lot more about JKAA history and its role, however, the above mentioned should be an eye opener. Many good things that AMU has done are being sold in the name of JKAA. I wish Kashmiri students don’t act like blind followers and herd of sheep, instead think freely and work independently.  
I have no grudge with anybody, what I want is Transparency.